(Overall Review) I never know how to properly review drabble collections such as this, especially a collection with so much diversity like yours. So, I’m going to make a big general review here, alongside the individual reviews I left for a few other chapters that particularly piqued my interest.

As I’ve already said, diversity is a major bonus with this collection. All the chapters are fresh and individual (minus a few that could/could not be considered related, such as the ones of Yuriev controlling Gaignun). That’s the beauty about this fic: every chapter is different, so there’s no possible room for predictability. Some chapters follow the canon, and others are 100% AUs that alter the essence of XS altogether. Then some episodes chronicle the Variants’ youths, and others chronicle the early/present days of the Kukai Foundation. The multitude of genres is superb, balancing humor, drama, tragedy, and romance (though I must say the romance is impressively kept to a non-mushy minimum. The focus of these stories is still , but the romance never got nauseating. Kudos!). Simply, there’s *more* than a generous amount of variety in this fic to lure any Gaignun/Jr. fan to find (at least) one chapter they like. _

Other general kudos for the inclusion of Citrine in several of these stories. I’ve noticed that Citrine almost always gets the shaft in fanfics about her brothers. Being a small fan of Citrine, I was thrilled to see her have an active role in multiple episodes of this series. I realize the focus of these drabbles is still Jr. and Gaignun, but it’s great to see the other XS characters weren’t alienated, too.

As for any complaints, I can’t say I have many for this series. I did spot some spelling/grammar mistakes, but they didn’t excessively disrupt my reading experience. More or less, I do have mixed feelings regarding how Gaignun has occasional tendencies of harboring Albedo-style jealousies for Sakura and/or MOMO. In this fic, a few of Gaignun’s thoughts/lines, “Rubedo had abandoned him to talk with that copy?” & “I hated her too,” sounded a bit harsh coming from Gaignun. I suppose Gaignun *could* have been keeping his jealousy hidden all these years (which is conceivable. Gaignun is not the type to make his emotions blatantly obvious like Albedo). Again, I didn’t exactly “dislike” this MOMO/Sakura issue; I’ve just got mixed feelings about it. Fortunately, this issue of mine only happens a handful of times throughout the entire series, so it didn’t constantly bother me. You didn’t go excessively overboard with the MOMO/Sakura jealousy ideas; you kept them to a minimum, and I commend you for that.

Overall, I enjoyed this series. Aside the other chapters I individually reviewed, I also enjoyed Chs.917. Ch.9 was adorable, emphasizing Rubedo as the big brother chasing away young Nigredo’s nightmares (total squee! .). And Ch.17’s “Monday Morning” was a hoot (if only EVERY Monday morning kicked off like that, neh? *smirks*). Again, the diversity in this series is simply astounding, and really exemplifies your multiple talents as an author. Well done!

Quite simply, this chapter is classic! Admittedly, I’ve wondered (in the past) if U.R.T.V.s could become aroused across the mental link. I guess now I know, neh? _ Though I’ll admit, that was a little sadistic of Gaignun to pull his shenanigans while poor Jr. is waddling his way through the Durandal (hilarious mental image, though. *Incredibly hilarious!*).“You could have at least waited until I got to my room.” But where’s the fun in that? Though I doubt I had nearly as much fun with that escapade as did Gaignun (*grins*), this episode is definitely one of my favorites (right up there with Ch.19). This chapter is a sexy piece of hilarious Jr. torment. It’s a damn miracle Jr. *did* make it to his room (Gaignun, you dog!). You’ve definitely got a great talent for writing sexy humor (in the most scrumptious of ways, too).

I have to admit, I’ve enjoyed this story’s AUs that alter the very essence of XS and rewrite Jr. and Gaignun’s lives. Ch.19’s was particularly unique, almost like a fairytale. Many of these AUs have some great philosophical/folklore allusions, too, and I just adore references such as in this episode.

This chapter was a great drama with Rubedo as “the Red Dragon.” XS canon elements are spoofed regarding what happened in the U.R.T.V.s’ pasts, adding a fresh spin on a pre-existing story. I found that this episode was particularly well written of all the chapters: lovely images, allusions, and a simply heartbreaking ending with Nigredo. “At least this way I'm doing something useful, rather than simply poisoning everything around me with my existence. It's better this way.” No doubt in my mind, those were Gaignun’s original intentions when he sacrificed himself in Episode 3. And just the image of Rubedo holding Nigredo as he dies is simply...simply beautiful! (*sniff*)

I’m a drama buff, so eloquently tragic stories such as Ch.19 are my personal pleasures. Pure and simple, this really was a gorgeous chapter.

I adore GaignunXJr, and wish there were more fics out there about them...Very good, you write drabbles that I actually want to read, so small yet they seem to have the plot development of some much longer fics.

I sat through and read all the chapters in one sitting. (days off are so nice!) I just couldn't stop reading, your imagery had me entranced! The way you wrote the 3 brothers never felt was awesome. They never felt out of character to me. Really loved them all. Thank you for such lovely stories.

I got linked to JUST this drabble and MY GOD WOMAN YOU WIN. XD adorable. I love the characterizations in this, and the hot-coffee-spilling, and the corner-of-mouth-kiss, and the playing-for-the-other-team, and just the whole thing. X3 WONDERFUL. thank you.

Alright, I have a confession to make. I've never bothered to review your fic; I didn't even leave you a single 'cool, plz update' line. And yet, this one of my absolutely favorite fics ever. I love it. I almost die of happiness every time it's updated, and I dread the day you'll run out of new themes. (Hint: Write sixty, not thirty.) I've read all these drabbles hell only knows how many times, and as a result, I know most of the contents by heart. Really. I could just randomly quote parts of my favorite chapters at any given time. What's more, I've never been a fan of Gaignun/Jr. until I first discovered this fic, quite a long time ago – and now I'm a huge Nigredo/Rubedo enthusiast. I guess it could say you opened my eyes, or something to that effect. ;)

I admire your creativity and the wide range of emotions you can put into your works. The sad drabbles made my heart ache, the funny ones made me laugh out loud. I almost came myself when I reached the end of 'Phone Call'. ;) The chapters about Dimitri's consciousness taking over for a brief while were creepy, and AUs like the recent update about plant dolls seemed so wonderfully inspiring. Your writing style isn't exactly perfect (I've noticed repetitions, wrong punctuation, etc), but it's really /powerful/, and that's the thing that matters the most to me.

So, let me repeat myself: I /worship/ you for writing this. Keep up the awesome work.